For the last few months, the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak has been implementing a programme titled "Social Collaboration to Build the Nation (Kolaborasi Sosial Membangun Bangsa)" with the support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi) in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan. The programme aims to develop alternative processed feed for Otolithoides pama (locally known as ikan tirus), a carnivorous species of fish that feeds on smaller juvenile fish and prawns.
Cultivation of ikan tirus farms is rapidly increasing in the coastal areas of Kubu Raya. Ikan tirus is highly valued for its swim bladder, which is exported for medical use as surgical thread. The demand has led to increasing exploitation of juvenile fish as feed. Concerned for the environmental impact of this expansion in fish farms, Sangga Bumi is proud to announce it is collaborating with Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak to enhance the project.
Through our Sangga STEM approach, we will collaborate with Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak and the carbon developer PT Kandelia Alam (Nusantara Climate Initiative) to trial waste from processed illipe nut and oil palms, and other alternative feeds like maggots. The trial will determine if readily available products can replace juvenile fish as suitable feed for ikan tirus. If successful, the project has the potential to demonstrate effective ways agricultural waste can be used to support community-led economic enterprises.